May 11 2026

Monday May 11

Walking and Working!

Psalm 15:2

Welcome to Pastor’s Chat today. As we were finishing our introduction to Philippians 2:1-4, I felt led to go back to Psalm 15, a psalm that I memorized as a young believer. That psalm so impacted my life when it comes to understanding the depths of really walking with God and what it means to live a life of integrity—a life that can enjoy the blessings of the Lord. Psalm 15 speaks to that because David begins by asking the question: “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?” (v. 1).

There is nothing more important than practicing the presence of the Lord and desiring to be in His presence on the holy hill. That is Mount Zion. That is where the temple was. That is where God made known the glory of His presence among His people. You dwelt in His presence there. Today, we can dwell in His presence every day.

As a matter of fact, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. So what does “the fear of the Lord mean? It means being continuously aware of and conscious of the presence of the Lord in your life—24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You know He is there. As Brother Lawrence put it, you “practice His presence.” That is what David is asking here.

Now, who can do that? Who has the right, the privilege, and the experience of dwelling in the presence of the Lord? David begins to answer the question in verse 2: “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.” Three things are mentioned right off the bat. First, “walking uprightly”. Second, “working righteousness”, and “speaking the truth in his heart”.

Look at what he says: “He who walks uprightly.” This speaks of integrity. It means a life that is sincere, genuine, and consistent—not perfect, but real. The word “walk” reminds us that this is a daily lifestyle. Remember, God told Abraham in Genesis 17:1: “Walk before Me blamelessly.” That is walking uprightly. That is walking in the right direction following Jesus every day!

You find this same truth mentioned in Psalm 23:3 “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Righteousness is doing that which is right. So first, we walk with the Lord uprightly. We are cleansed of our sin. We are enjoying fellowship with Him. We are listening to His voice, paying attention to His Holy Spirit, and walking in obedience by faith. We are enjoying a life of experiencing God. We walk uprightly, and it shows forth to the world around us. That is so important.

Then we “work righteousness”. Now this is interesting. Righteousness is doing what is right. I will never forget, as a young Christian, hearing someone say: “Do right. Do right. Do right. If the stars fall from heaven, do right.” People have come to me asking for counseling or advice on how to handle a certain situation, and my answer—because of how I have been influenced—is simply this: “Be a Christian. Be a Christian.” “Just do right!”

That means you do right according to God’s Word. It means you follow Jesus. You do what Jesus would do in that situation, my friend. The only way you can do that is by first walking uprightly. You walk in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Remember, our righteousness is as filthy rags. What we do on our own, without the Holy Spirit helping us, guiding us, and directing us, “is as filthy rags”. It might impress people and make us feel good, but it actually stinks in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6).

But my friend, when we follow Jesus, when we are in love with Jesus, when we are enjoying His presence, when we have the fear of the Lord, and when we are walking in a path that brings glory to His name, people can see the difference in our lives. That is a powerful thing. So our walk matches our profession when we walk uprightly. James 1:22 says: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

A believer who enjoys close fellowship with God seeks to obey the Lord. Oh, my friend, that is not sinless perfection, but it is a heart that desires holiness. May God help us to have that kind of heart. Let us continue over the next few days looking at Psalm 15. I hope you will take time to memorize it too and hide it in your heart, that you might not sin against the Lord.

God bless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!